1 - Once I assign a material to objects and then color them using the attribute editor, if I change the color of a selected object, other un-selected objects seen to be linked somehow color-wise as they change color along with the selected object. How do I unlink these objects? (this seems to have nothing to do with parenting).

2 - After modeling a simply shaped hand (each object detached from each other) I duplicated it, looks the same but some of the finger shapes won't shade, just stay in dark blue wireframe. So anyone know what the deal is with this?!? (I tried duplicating the original again and got the same results)

It sounds like you may have changed the color of Lambert1, which is the default shader that is applied to everything by default. If you change the color, the color of everything that hasn't been textured will change as well, because they have Lambert1 on by default.

Thanks again for your help mtmckinley and nem (This is great, I'm in NYC getting advice from England and Mississippi)

Problem #1 - Turns out I wasn't careful in selecting my objects. Just because you have an object chosen and highlighted in the Hypergraph, doesn't mean that's the choice when you right-click it in the workspace to select it's attribute window or some other property. Must pay attention to objects names.

Problem #2 - Mtmckinley, posting an image is beyond me at this point, as I'm quite computer illiterate. (I know that sounds beyond hopeless, but then again I've animated for Disney and Warners, Frank Thomas is a friend, so I like to think I'm not completely useless!)

Rendering an image of the problem hand results in the un-shaded objects not showing up on the image, while the others are fine. It's probably easier for me to figure this out than to post an image of it here

While I've got your attention, any ideas on how to convert curves (like those drawn with the Pencil Curve tool) into an object that could be translated and such? Also how to draw curves in 3D space - they always come out flat normally.

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